The federal entity that is charged with providing a system of health surveillance to monitor and prevent outbreaks of disease is the ____________________.

• A. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• B. National Institutes of Health
• C. Food and Drug Administration
• D. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality

Answer: (A)

Public health surveillance and outbreak prevention are central duties of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC operates national and international systems to monitor how illnesses spread, collect and analyze data on disease incidence, and coordinate rapid responses to emerging outbreaks. It works with state and local health departments, laboratories, and healthcare providers to track notifiable diseases, identify trends, and develop guidelines and prevention strategies that help reduce transmission. This focus on monitoring populations, analyzing data, and coordinating responses is what makes the CDC the federal entity charged with providing a system to watch for and prevent disease outbreaks, including guidance that protects clinical settings like dental offices.

Other agencies handle different roles. The National Institutes of Health primarily conducts biomedical research to understand diseases and develop treatments. The Food and Drug Administration regulates the safety and efficacy of foods, drugs, vaccines, and medical devices, but does not serve as the nation’s disease surveillance system. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality concentrates on improving the quality and safety of health care services, not on monitoring disease outbreaks at the population level.